Cancellation, Drop & Withdrawal

A cancellation occurs when a student disenrolls all course sections for a term prior to classes beginning.

To drop is to disenroll from one or more courses while remaining enrolled in at least one course.

To withdraw is to disenroll from all course sections on or after the first day of instruction.

Non-degree students: To cancel, drop, and withdraw from the University, please submit both the Change of Status and Withdrawal/Cancellation forms to CITL for signatures and processing. The effective date and time of the requested action is determined when our office receives the completed form.

Degree students: To cancel, drop, or withdraw from the University, go to the Student Self-Service website or contact your college or department office for assistance.

Cancellations

A student who has enrolled in a single course section or multiple course sections and later decides not to attend the University must take action to cancel his or her registration(s) prior to 5:00 PM (Central Standard Time) before the first day of instruction.

Official cancellation results in a 100% refund of tuition and fees or credit to the student’s account. A student enrolled in courses and who has not submitted a cancellation as of 5:00 PM (CST) the day before the first day of instruction is obligated to pay all assessed tuition and fees. If the student leaves the University after the cancellation deadline, he or she must officially withdraw from the University. Students who withdraw from the University are subject to the University policies governing withdrawals.

Drops

A student who decides to drop a single course section or multiple courses must take action to drop his or her course(s) by University deadlines. See the Office of the Registrar’s Academic Calendar for information on official academic dates, including the deadlines for dropping a full-term, semester-based course. For courses using a different calendar (8-week terms, for example), please contact our registration staff as promptly as possible.

Students can view drop policy information and deadlines regarding grade of W for both graduate and undergrad level students on the Office of the Registrar’s Academic Calendar. For nonstandard length courses, the period for dropping course sections without academic penalty is determined proportionately.

Drop Refund Policies

Students who drop a course prior to the tenth day of instruction for full-term courses receive a full (100%) refund of tuition and fees. Thereafter, no refund is allowed. For the exact refund dates for full term course sections, consult the Office of the Registrar's site. For nonstandard length course sections, refund periods are determined proportionately. For additional information, please contact our registration staff as promptly as possible.

Withdrawals

A student who is withdrawing from all course(s) on or after the first day of instruction must take action to withdraw his or her course(s) by University deadlines. All students are responsible for understanding the withdrawal policy becomes effective at 12:01 a.m. (CST) on the first day of instruction for on-campus classes. Visit the Office of the Registrar’s Academic Calendar for the campus’ academic dates, deadlines, and pro-rata refund schedule. For additional information, contact our registration staff as promptly as possible.

Withdrawal Refund Policies

A student who fails to officially withdraw from the University or withdraws following the refund period is responsible for payment of all tuition and fee charges. Refunds for withdrawals from the University are governed by the campus’ pro-rata refund schedule.

Students who officially withdraw within the defined refund periods receive a pro-rata refund (or credit) of tuition based on the date when University offices receive proper documentation. The assessed tuition is refunded on a pro-rata basis, less a pro-rata fee of $50. Before a refund is made to the student, the University must make a refund to appropriate financial aid programs. In addition, when a student is indebted to the University at the time of withdrawal, the refund is adjusted accordingly.

Students can view withdrawal policy information and deadlines regarding grade of W for both graduate and undergrad level students on the Office of the Registrar’s Academic Calendar. For nonstandard length courses, the period for dropping course sections without academic penalty is determined proportionately.

Dropping a noncredit course

If a student drops a course before the first day of instruction, there is an 80% refund of course costs if our office receives the Noncredit Change of Status form by 5 p.m. (CST) the day before the class starts.

When a student drops a course (using the Noncredit Change of Status form) after a class has begun, there is no refund.

In online courses that are not semester-based and may start any time, a student who submits a Noncredit Change of Status form within two weeks of the enrollment confirmation e-mail receives an 80% refund of course costs; there is no refund for dropping a course after that point.

If an academic unit or CITL cancels a noncredit course, all registered students will receive a full (100%) refund.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign DOES NOT accept ANY TYPE of tuition or fee waivers as a form of payment in noncredit courses or programs.